Barn House Flea Market

If I ever write anything on time will be a miracle! My excuse, sometimes good times need time to breath like a fine wine! That is just how I feel about Jo, Jermonne and the Barn House.

Lynne, Heather and I spent a hot but great weekend on July 17 & 18 at their farm in Battleground. I was just along for the ride (what better excuse to hang out and shop for antiques) while they sold at the Barn House flea market.

Jo& Jermonne were so busy that I never got a picture of them, next time! We met a great family from Roseville, Ca. They own The Tattered House and they brought a yummy dessert and a breakfast cake that you can see Lynne licking further down the blog!

Heather and Lynne enjoy the amazing pot luck dinner the day before the show. Jermonne cooked a wonderful chicken on the BBQ and everyone brought something to share.

Resting by the fire pit in the boy's back yard!

Scene from a distance. Later that day the entire field was full of cars.



Cindy from Tarte had an amazing booth!! of course!

Heather and Lynne pricing.

A few things I bought from Sue.

The boy's yard.

From the garden.

Lynne as cute as can be!!!

Ready to take your money!

I realise that I didn't take any pictures of the crowd. Well, I was to busy helping Lynne with sales. The day turned out great and we met wonderful people, new customers and regular customers.

Heather in a vintage dress and apron and looking sexy!!

Lynne, eating off of the breakfast tray!

Lynne, Lynne!

What ever shall I do with you!

Thank you Jo and Jermonne for an amazing weekend and for the invite. I slept well for my 4 hours!!
Thank you Lynne and Heather!!!!

2009 Street of Dreams preview

Chris and I delivered our product to unit 1001 this week and we got a peek of the almost finished penthouse. It looks amazing!! I will have finished pictures in the next few weeks before the opening on August 1st.

Porcelain glove mold hand displayed in one of the bathrooms

I found this great architectural mirror at the Spokane Farm Chicks show in June. I bought it from a very inspiring and beautiful woman who owns Chaps in Spokane. http://www.chapsgirl.com/

Finished architectural mirror with crackle finish hanging up in the music room.



I happened to find this industrial table at a second hand store when I was out shopping with Lynne. It was covered with boxes and hidden by miscellaneous junk. Could this be what I was looking for? I was excited about the project and I knew I had only 2 weeks to finish it for Phyllis and the Street of Dreams but I believed I could get it done.

While cleaning the base I happened on the embossed label, "Old Chicago".

After 5 days of stripping, sanding, buffing, painting, cleaning and sealing! We placed the 1/2 beveled cut glass on top and yes! it was beautiful and Phyllis really liked it!!

Meet Chatherine and Suzanne!

Barn House

On a beautiful and sunny Saturday morning, Lynne and I ventured up to Battleground, Wa. for the Barn House Boys sale. It was my first antique show since my illness and it couldn't have been a nicer day. As we stood in line at 7:45 am, there was just a slight shill in the air that was soothed by the warm sun. Julie and Lynne at Barn House

Isabel as bright as always.

After about 2 hours, Lynne and I just about filled her car full of great finds. My favorite part of the morning was visiting with all the great people who were part of the show or shopping like us!

Henny!

The foul were all hiding behind the antiques.

Lynne reaching high for that treasure.

Japanese textiles

My trip to Japan, opened my eyes to the beautiful world of Japanese textile like their obi and kimonos. Here are just a few of the textiles and their variety of motifs, colors and designs that I was able to pick up at flea markets in Tokyo. Many of the very old obi have symbolic meanings and the more recent obi are more decorative. All beautiful and full of energy.

The Kimono I picked up, still smells of cedar and some of the obi have a little wear from being lovingly used.

The bright colors and the rich golds and silvers are striking, I can only imagine seeing beautiful Japanese woman filling the streets of old Japan, their bright and exotic kimonos and obi dazzling to the eyes.

How inspiring to a decorater to use these textiles in a way that displays their beauty

Vintage Fukuro Obi

Vintage Nagoya Obi

Vintage Double Obi, Pine and Ship motif

Vintage Kimono, Ikat Weave. for young girl.

Vintage Nagoya Obi, Art Deco Style

Vintage Fukuro Obi, Botan Flowers in a Persian Karabana Motif

Local Portland artist and landscape designer Amy Bryant is displaying her fabulous leaf etchings in wax for the month of February. Her designs are naturalistic and vintage in inspiration.

Food & Color of Japan

Salmon background & the complementary colors of white & mustard yellow.

On my recent trip to Japan to visit my dear friend Yorie, I experience many cultural difference, including their food. Japanese food is very diverse, colorful and full of wonderful flavors. Along with the cuisine their presentation was very important, almost everywhere we went. I have never felt the need to photograph my dish before I ate, but these were works of art.

My ramen noodles were so full of flavor, we went to a small ramen noodle restaurant in Tokyo. Sitting at a small counter, Japanese sitcom playing on the television, we ate our meal quietly because it was so good!

The rich wood tone contrast the warm bright yellows & greens.

At the Toufuya Ukai, in Shiba, we enjoyed a wonderful meal with our friend Carl. A five course meal, the ginkgo berry was so pretty I didn't want to eat it. Truth be told, I didn't know you could eat it!

Soft Persian opal blue surrounds the delicate textured white & rich brown.

Our meal at the Taikyourou hotel, in Izumo, located on the western Japan Sea Coast, we enyoyed a six course meal. This beautiful dish of cold noodles and what looks like an eggs was delicious. It was not an egg but full of lite flavors and soft noodles.

Texture & shape are harmonized with the salmon & green tones, white plays elegantly in contrast.

Once again our Taikyourou hotel meal presentation was stunning. We oood and awed! before we ate, savoring all the delightful textures and flavors of our meal.

Fiddle Head

We found these beautiful fiddle head fern sculptors in Seattle. They scatter the ground and shoot up into the air like living creatures of steel. Our Isabel thought they were very cool and found running around them, time and time again, was the most fun she could have. We thought it was very cold and just wanted to go find some hot coffee! guess who won....

My little fashion diva knows her colors! the rich shade of violet and cool grey are just two of the fall/winter 2008-09 colors for fashion and interiors.

Reflective of the modern age and the future, deep grey and violet are cool colors that represent strength and technology.

It is a little hard to find these colors in the antique world, a few ideas are to look for mulberry on white English ironstone, it even sounds yummy!

Vintage steel and galvanized remnants found in barns or junk stores are a stunning accent on the wall of a hallway, above a headboard or over a console.

Victorian floral painting often have beautiful tones of violet and vintage violet flower embroidered textiles can make an amazing accent pillow.